Electrical railway-signal.



WWW 1 J; W. TAI'UM.

'PATENTED MAY 2, 1905.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1903.

5mm: (jmwhflm an engine-cab 1 with electrical batteries 2 2,

UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. TATUM, OF DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ROBERT B. BOONE AND JOHN W. SMITH, OF DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA.

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,562, dated May 2, 1905.

Application filed October 19,

To (LZL whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs W. TATUM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Durharm, in the county of Durham and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrical railwaysignals, more particularly as between theengine-cabs of approaching trains upon a single or the same track. While it has generally for its object to guard against railway collisions, it provides more especially for effecting the automatic interchange of cautionary signals, as aforesaid, at a certain or predetermined distance apart between the trains.

Said invention therefore consists of the combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter more fully disclosed, and particularly pointed out by the claim concluding the following specification.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, the figure is a diagrammatic view thereof as applied for use.

In the practicing of my invention I equip Wired, as at 3 3, to an engine-wheel aXle, the battery 2 being also wired, as at 4, to a pushbutton 4, and a bell 5 and the battery 2 wired, as at 6, to a push-button 7, and a bell 8, all located in the same engine-cab. Said cab is equipped with usual trolley poles or levers 9 9, whose pulleys or wheels engage the overhead trolley-wires 1O 10, and traversing said trolleypoles are wires 11 1]., connecting with said trolley wheels or pulleys and with the bells 5 8, respectively, in the engine-cab. Said overhead trolley-wires, it will be noted, are provided at regular or uniform. intervals along the same with pieces of insulation a b c d, &c., alternating each other, as shown. The presumed distance between any two pieces of insulation of a wire is, say, preferably three miles. Therefore as insulation of the two wires, as above noted, alternate the distance between any two alternating insulation is a mile and a half, which is i 1903. Serial No- 177,639.

deemed the safe minimum distance between approaching trains or trains following one another for the despatch or exchange of cantionary signals.

It will be noted that, assuming two trains are approaching each other upon the same or a single track and are equipped with the aforesaid electric precautionary means or appliances, as one trolley of each train-engine e11- gages a common insulated wire section or block the circuit will be closed and one bell of each engine be rung and continue to ring, thus each signaling to and the approach of the other as a warning or cautionary measure. This mutual signaling provides for the ringing of a bell upon each engine. N ow as the trains continue to approach each other the other trolley of each engine will also effect engagement with a common insulated section or block of the other or companion trolley-wire, as when they have gotten. within a given distance of each other, thus closing a second circuit and causing thereby the ring ing of a second bell upon each engine, consequently producing a second signal thereon as a further precaution or safeguard. It is also noted that the aforesaid signaling operation is equally applicable or effective as between trains following one another, thus guardin against rear end as well as forward or hea end collisions and the consequent disastrous results as has heretofore attended such collisions. The distance allowed for sending in or exchanging cautionary signals can-never be less than a mile and a half, since the contact as between the respective insulation of the two trolley-wires and the engine-cab trolley-wheels is predetermined or prescribed, as aforesaid, by the arrangement of said insulation. The maximum or greatest distance apart for thus sending in or exchanging such signals may be three miles, as above noted, which it .is seen is prescribed or predetermined also by reason of such arrangement of said insulation.

It will be understood that I do not limit myself to details herein, as they may be changed as circumstances suggest without departing from the spirit of my invention and said invention yet be protected.

vices in the engine-cab, whereby a single signal may be produced in each of two enginecabs when one trolley-pole of each cab engages a common trolley-wire section and a second signal may be likewise produced therein when the other trolley-poles engage a common section of the other. trolley-wire.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES W. TATUM.

Witnesses:

BENNETT S. JoNEs, L. L. BURKET. 

